Manufacturing photographic film packets



United States Patent I 72] Inventor Georle P- Relmlllll, Jr- [56]References Cited 21 A l No :;|6I 1,l;4gham,Mmach -l8efl UNITED STATESPATENTS 1 P 1 1,537,749 5/1925 Colgrove 226/115 [22] 2 990 091 6/1961 a1d 11 226 112 [45] Patented Nov. 3, I970 o swort y [73] AssigneePolaroid Corporation Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Cambridge,Massachusetts A rtorney- Brown and Mikulka, Robert M. Ford and William acorporation of Delaware W. Rymer [54] r -gg'g PHOTOGRAPHIC ABSTRACT:Grippers arranged to longitudinally advance a 3 Chin 4 i n web in theproduction of photographic film packets, one set of n: grippers drawingthe web at a narrow portion, a second set of [52] 11.8." 226/115,grippers drawing the web at a wider portion to isolate up- 226/158stream propagation of the off-center force exerted by the first [51]IIILCI. B65l1 1 7/36 set; and a third set of grippers bearing the mainburden of [50] Field ofSearclr 226/8, 1 l2, drawing the web from aposition upstream of weakened porllS, l58, 162; 83/153, 154

tions of the web.

MANUFACTURING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM PACKETS pivoted at opposite sides ofsupport 90. The edges of the web are held by and pass under the jaws.Support 90 is mounted to slide on parallel shafts 92 and 94 whichrespectively pass through bores 96 and 98 (FIG. 4) in the support andare ble, simple, and inexpensive manner without interfering with webprocessing mechanism and without distorting, overstressing, or otherwiseinjuring the web material or laterally diverting the web from itsintended path, even though the web includes mechanically weakenedportions and portions of different widths asymmetrically arrangedrelative to each other with respect to the webs longitudinal axis.

The invention features a first set of grippers drawing the web atits-narrow portion and a second set of grippers drawing the web at itswide portion to isolate upstreampropagation of the offcenter forceexerted by the first set. In preferred embodiments a third set ofgrippers bears the main burden of drawing theweb from a positionupstream of the weakened portions of the web, and a single linearlyoscillating bar drives in unison movable grippers in each of the threesets.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken togetherwith the attached drawings thereof, in which a FIG. 1 is an isometricview of the photographic film packet of the type made by apparatusembodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary partially schematic isometric view of portionsof said apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the gripper assembliesshown generally in FIG. 2, with one position of the movable grippersbeing shown in dotted lines; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section showing one of the movable grippers. I

' Packet has outer walls 14 and 16 of opaque paper joined.

' apparatus 32 shown in part in FIG. 2. At station ,34 of ap paratus 32web 30, by then having been slit along its longitudinal centerline 36into halves 38 and 40 rejoined on their undersides by tape 20, istransversely punched at packet length intervals to form packet lengthweb sections 50 joined end to end only by narrow bands of paper 52, 54,and 56 at the edges and centerline 36 respectively. Later, at station60, after other operations have been performed on the web and severalphotographic and nonphotographic components of the packet have beendeposited on the web, band 54 and that portion of band 56 on web half 38are severed and the then freed packet length segment of web half 38 isfolded along centerline 36 onto web half 40. At later stations (notshown) the individual packets 10 are completed and cutoff.

The web is moved longitudinally intermittently in packet lengthincrements by three sets 70, 72, and 74 of grippers respectivelypositioned just before (in-the progression of the web from right toleftin FIG. 2) station 34, just before station 60, and after a series ofstations following station 60. The gripper sets are identical exceptthat set 74, which engages the web after its effective width has beenhalved at station 60, has narrower grippers than sets 70 and 72. Thetypical gripper set 70 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 has a longitudinallystationary pair of jaws 80 and 82 pivoted at opposite sides of block 84and a longitudinally linearly oscillating pair of jaws .86 and 88mounted at their ends in block 84 and block 100. Neck 110 of support 90extends through slot 112 in table 114 and is connected to operating bar116. The corresponding movable gripper supports 90a and 90b of sets 72and 74, respectively, are similarly connected to bar 116, so that thethree movable gri p ers oscillate in unison.

ultable drive and control mechanism is provided, of types known in theart and not described here, to longitudinally oscillate bar 116,pivotally openand close the gripper jaws, and properly sequence thegripper operations with the manufacturing operations performed on theweb.

ln operation, for each packet length advance of the web, jaws 86 and 88(along with the corresponding jaws on the other movable grippers) closeon the web while in their rightward dotted line position (FIG. 3); lawsand 82 simultaneously open; bar 116 moves to the left until support isin its leftward position (FIG. 3); jaws 86 and 88 open as jaws 80 and 82simultaneously close to hold the web in its newly advanced position; andbar 116 moves to the right to return support 90 to its originalposition. The major advancing force is applied to the web by gripper set70 (about 15 lbs.) so that the lesser forces (about 3 lbs.) applied byeach of gripper sets 72 and 74 are insufficient to rupture the web atits partial severances between packet lengths. The force applied bygripper set 74 is effectively exerted along a centerline 120 laterallyoffset from the main web centerline 36. Gripper set 72, by engaging theweb just before it is folded, cuts off upstream propagation of theoffcenter force applied by gripper set 74, thereby averting distortionof the web or its lateral diversion from its intended path.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are withinthe following claims.

lclaim: V

. 1. In apparatus for handling a web during the manufacture of aphotographic film packet, said apparatus providing a path oflongitudinal advance for said web, said web having a first effectivewidth along one portion of said path and a second effective width lessthan said first width along a second portion of said path locateddownstream from said first portion, said apparatus having grippers forapplying longitudinal force to said web to advance the same:

the arrangement of said grippers in sets such that;

a first gripper set is located within said second portion of said path,to apply a force to the web effectively exerted along a line laterallyoffset from the centerline of said web within said first portion of saidpath; and

a second gripper set is located within said first portion of said pathwhereby said second set isolates propagation upstream along said web ofthe offcenter force applied by said first set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said web has weakened portionsdownstream of a position within said first portion of said path, saidsecond set is located downstream of said position, and a third gripperset is located upstream of said position, said third set bearing themajor burden of advancing said web.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each said set includes alongitudinally oscillating gripper mounted on a movable support and asingle linearly oscillating bar drives said oscillating grippers inunison.

